The Son Also Rises
by PriscillaPal
Summary: In Part 3 of the story following, Darkness Falls and Darkness Lifts, also on fanfiction.net, Connor continues to tell Chloe of his real background, while Clark and Lois are forced to confront Faith.
1. Default Chapter

The Son Also Rises

It is three years later and things are very different now.

Connor and Chloe are married and living in a quiet San Francisco neighborhood. Because of Lilah's 'reversal spell'(if one can really call it that), the So'Dath prophecies were forgotten, and thus, no one was aware that the daughter of Connor and Chloe, whom they named 'Cordelia', would one day be a very powerful vampire slayer.

Dr. Swann's spell only worked on Lois, leaving the Smallville situation to be as sticky as they come. For neither Lois, nor Lex, who almost lost his life in that car accident, remembered nothing of the baby that had been born.

But Clark, Lana Lang, Martha and Jonathan Kent did. And the town remembered that Lois had a strange rash. When confronted by these questions, constantly, Lois decided to go back to Metropolis, thinking that Smallville was filled with nothing but weirdos!

That hurt Clark. It hurt that there didn't appear to be any part of Lois, that remembered that she had a child out in this world. Their child.

It also didn't help that neither Angel, nor his staff at Wolfram & Hart, seemed to remember anything either, when he called them. In fact, they didn't appear to know who he was, with Angel just barely remembering him at all.

That was when Clark realized that the only person he could count on, to find his child, was himself.

He grew apart from Lana, who became close with Lex. While she sympathized, too much had happened for her to go back to him. Last he heard, they were engaged.

His parents weren't pleased about his dropping out of school and dedicating his life to finding the child that was stolen from him. A child that he did not even know the sex of. Did he have a son or daughter?

Something in Clark, sensed he had a son. He did not know why, he just did. It turned out he was right.

Lana, who despite her engagement to Lex, kept quiet about the baby. She asked Lex's help in finding a detective for Clark. One that could be very discreet. Lex did not question the reason why. If it pleased Lana, that's all that mattered.

A now, Clark had found the child, a son indeed. But it had come at a cost.

Lex's detective had been murdered, after delivering the information to Clark. Clark had no doubts that Wolfram & Hart were behind it, since the detective had traced his son's adoption back to them. Back to Dr. Swann, who had seemingly disappeared as well.

Clark looked down at the file he now had in his possession. His son had been named Kyle and he was now the child of Dan and Faith Gordon. But, Dan Gordon had died in a car accident, nine months ago and his son was now being raised by Faith Gordon alone.

Faith....there seemed to be nothing on her before she married Dan. That didn't sit well with Clark. And if Lex's detective had been 'allowed' to live longer, maybe Clark could've found out why that was.

He decided not to dwell on what he could not control. He now had an address for Faith and Kyle. And coincidentally, she lived right next door to Chloe and Connor.

Or was it a coincidence?

Chloe put a barrette in little Cordy's hair, before fluffing it out. She would've never imagined she would have such a beautiful daughter. Certainly prettier than she herself ever was.

Chloe smiled to herself, as she glanced out of the window. Connor was on the riding mower, cutting the front lawn. It was Saturday and little Wyatt Halliwell down the block, was having a birthday party.

Three year old Cordy grabbed for the wrapped present that they were taking him, but could not get her small hands around it. Chloe gently took it from her.

"Ranpa Angel is coming over! Ranpa Angel!" Cordy cried excitedly.

Cordy was saying 'Grandpa Angel', of course. He was the one that had suggested the name Cordelia to her and Connor. At first, Chloe didn't like the name, but Connor too, seemed kind of insistent. She suspected this Cordelia was someone that was once very important to both men. But, Chloe did not push. There were still many things she did not know.

And that was fine with her. Chloe smiled to herself when she thought about that. There had been a time when her inquisitive mind, would not have rested at letting Connor keep more than one secret from her. The reporter in her wouldn't have allowed that.

But she was a stay-at-home mom now, while Connor was still finishing business school. Angel had purchased this house for them, although Connor had seemed rather leery of the offer. Chloe suspected that it was because of Wolfram & Hart, since in reality, they paid for this house.

But nothing demon like had happened, since they had moved in. And even though Chloe liked Angel, she took to her husband's adoptive parents more, though, from what Connor told her, they thought they were his real parents...at least she thought they did. All she really knew was that she was not supposed to mention Angel in front of them.

But that would soon be impossible. Little Cordy mentioned him all of the time, and seemed to take to him more than Connor's parents. And Chloe wasn't about to teach her little girl to lie.

Chloe eyed Connor out of the window again. When she got back from Wyatt's birthday party with Cordy, there were was something they needed to discuss.

They were having houseguests.

Cordy was clapping her hands in an excited manner. Yes, back to the source of her daughter's excitement. Angel was coming over to dinner this evening, which might be cause for tension, because of the 'houseguests'.

The first one was her cousin Lois. She had gotten a job here in town, at the Bay Mirror newspaper as a reporter. Lois was a reporter. Chloe still couldn't believe it sometimes. Lois, who had professed to have no interest in journalism, was now living the dream that she had always had.

Chloe smiled at Cordy. She had what she wanted though. She had wanted to leave Smallville and be with Connor. And her father, while he had been disappointed, visited four times a year, just to see his only granddaughter. Yes, things had worked out well.

Until now.

The other 'houseguest' was Clark, and while Chloe couldn't wait to see him again, something about this visit bothered her. After Chloe had left town with Connor, Lois had called her and told her that Clark had went insane, dropped out of school, dumped Lana and left town.

Lois also said that the last time she saw Clark, he tried to feel her up!

Chloe sincerely hoped there was no truth to that. She loved her cousin, but she could be prone to exaggeration. Yet, what if Clark was insane? Was it safe to let him stay in this house with herself and little Cordy?

Not that she didn't trust Connor to protect them, it was just that....in her heart of hearts, she couldn't turn Clark away. She just found herself wondering why he was coming? What was in San Francisco? And what had come between him and Lana?

Chloe bit her lip. She also suspected that Connor had never liked Clark. Telling him this would not be pleasant.

"Come on, Cordy! We have to get going!" she called out.

Cordy's blond hair bounced, as she ran to her mother and pressed her tiny hand into hers. They then walked down the stairs together.

Connor stopped the mower, as Faith and Kyle walked up to them. He smiled at Kyle.

"Hey, Kyle! Did you get Wyatt a good present?"

"Yes!" he said, his manner surly. Connor looked at Faith. Faith explained.

"Let's just say it's something Kyle here wants for Christmas, and SOMEONE, is a little jealous that another boy is getting it earlier than himself, right?" she asked, rumpling his hair.

Kyle said nothing, but his eyes were downcast. Connor shook his head.

"Christmas is six months away, Kyle. You just have to hold on."

Kyle nodded again, just as Chloe and Faith walked out. Chloe smiled at Faith.

"Hey, Faith. Listen, Angel is coming to dinner tonight. Do Kyle and you want to join us?"

"Sure. We don't have anything else to do. Hey, Kyle, do you want to eat at Cordy's house tonight?"

Kyle nodded again. Chloe grabbed his hand.

"I'll walk them down to Wyatt's house, if you want." Chloe said, somehow sensing that the two of them needed to discuss something. She liked Faith, and knew that she was part of this dark world that both her husband and Angel came from. That and she felt sorry for her. Faith had lost her husband awhile back, and Chloe knew that she and Kyle were still having a hard time. How Faith afforded the house by herself, was beyond Chloe's comprehension.

"Thanks, I'll be down in a minute." Faith said. Chloe smiled through her sudden pain. Good God! That Kyle had a grip on him!

Connor watched as his wife and daughter walked off with Kyle, before saying anything. But it was Faith that spoke first.

"I'm glad Angel is coming tonight, but I want him to stay out of this."

"Faith...." Connor began. 

"You should've never said anything to anyone!"

"Faith, for God's sakes here! I saw your son knock over Mrs. Harper's chainlink fence! Now you're lucky I was the only one that saw it! Kyle's strength, coupled with the fact that you just found out that Dan arranged that adoption through Wolfram & Hart, spells trouble!"

"You don't think I know that! I still think the best thing to do is run. Kyle and I will just go someplace far away...."

"No, Faith. Come on. You've put down roots, finally. And you said that Kyle never had any of this strength, or God knows what else, until after Dan died. Maybe this is a phase or something."

Faith gave him a look of disbelief.

"Come on, Connor! We both have seen too much to believe that."

"Maybe, maybe not. But let's just let Angel help, okay?"

Faith bit her lip and nodded.

"Fine, fine! Look, I'm headed down to the party. I'll see you tonight, okay?"

Connor nodded, then watched as Faith walked off. He began to start up the riding mower, when Lois swept into the driveway, almost hitting Faith, who had not finished crossing past in on the walk!

When Faith saw who it was, she rolled her eyes! Chloe's bitch cousin, Lacy....Liza, something! What the hell was she doing back here?

Lois jumped out of her car and ran to give Connor a hug! Connor let go of her.

"Lois, I'm always happy to see you, but you know that you almost his Faith?"

"Faith? Faith....I just saw some bitch....was that Faith?" Lois cooed, grinning.

"You know it was. And luckily, she's gone and didn't hear your comment."

"Or what, 'Mr. Chloe Sullivan', hey? I can take her anytime."

"Lois, not to be rude, but why are you here?"

Lois's face fell.

"Chloe didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"I've moved here! I got a job at the Bay Mirror! I'm going to be living with you all until I find my own place!"

"Uh....no....Chloe didn't say...."

Lois ran back to her car and pulled out some luggage. She then tossed it to Connor, who caught a bag, while still on the mower. He climbed off.

"Lois...."

"Now don't you worry about a thing! I will be paying you rent, while I'm here. So, show me where my room is."

If Connor was displeased, Lois didn't notice, as she settled into a small guest room. She opened up her luggage and milled around, until she found what she was looking for.

Her medication.

Lois picked up the bottle. Cymbalta, for depression. Lois opened the bottle and took a pill, swallowing it dry. She still didn't know what exactly she was depressed about!

And then there were the strange dreams. Dreams that began after she spent that time at the Kent Farm. What bothered her the most, was that Clark Kent, was rumored to have went insane and was supposedly wandering about Europe somewhere. What if they both accidentally inhaled some chemical or something used for spraying crops? Why did they both have problems that began during that time?

Lois had been to three different doctors, that could find nothing physically wrong with her. And then, there were the dreams. The dreams of a baby.....and of her and Clark Kent making love.

Lois opened her bedroom door, hurried down the stairs and rushed into the kitchen. She got a glass of water and drank it quickly. The dreams of Clark always got her hot!

The baby part was depressing. Why? None of it was real.

Yet, she still remembered Clark's words to her that strange day. Something about, 'where is our baby'.....or 'where is our child'? Why would he have said that? God knows if she had ever been pregnant, with anyone's baby, she would remember!

Lois put the glass in the sink, knowing she should wash it, but not really feeling like it. She could hear Connor mowing the back yard now. She had to pull herself together. She couldn't let her new employers, or anyone else in her family, know she was on depression medication.

The doorbell rang. Lois looked around. No, Chloe did not have a maid. Lois walked over to the door and threw it open before looking. She then stared.

Clark Kent was staring back at her. She blinked.

"Lois? Lois, what are you doing here?" he asked, smiling at her, as if he were happy to see her.

"You're a hallucination. Excuse me." Lois said, then turned and walked back up the stairs. She picked up her pill bottle, walked back down the stairs to see Clark was still there. Lois put a finger up, as if to say, 'one second', before walking into the kitchen.

Clark stepped in and closed the door, tossing his luggage next to an umbrella stand. He then followed Lois into the kitchen and watched her take another pill, this time with water. She then blinked. Why was Clark still here? She had thought she had moved from depression to hallucinations, but now.....

"What is that you're taking there?" Clark asked, reaching for the bottle. Lois snatched it back!

"You're really here."

"Uh, yes."

"Clark Kent?"

"That's my name."

Lois looked at the pill bottle and put it behind her back.

"Just forget you saw this, okay?"

But Clark had already glanced at the drug on the bottle. Cymbalta? He wasn't quite sure what that was for, but he intended to find out. Lois was here. Lois was next door to their son. He wondered if she remembered anything at all about him? Cymbalta.....now he was more than curious. Maybe he could just ask Lois what she was taking it for.....

Before Clark could say anything, Connor entered through the back kitchen door. Lois hadn't realized the riding mower had stopped.

"Kent? What the hell are you doing here?" Connor asked, more in surprise than disgust.

"Didn't Chloe tell you?" Clark asked. Connor felt like groaning! Lois had just said that same phrase earlier! Dinner tonight was going to be quite a treat! 


	2. Kyle

Chapter 2

Chloe took a deep breath, as she brought an empty plate into the kitchen that night. Connor was quick on her heels.

"Oh, Chloe!" he called out in a sing song voice.

Chloe set the plate down and turned to face her husband.

"Honey, I know I didn't tell you about Lois and Clark. I was going to but I got so wrapped up with Cordy and the party...."

"I love Lois, you know that. Keep in mind, I did just say LOIS. Clark on the other hand, is a different matter altogether."

"Connor, I didn't think that I could refuse him. Look, there was a part of me that wanted to see him again."

Connor eyed her.

"Why?"

"Not for the reason that you think, okay? He's been on the road for two years now. He's obviously searching for something, and I know that whatever this is is important. Even more important than Lana. And you know how crazy he was about her."

Connor folded his arms.

"Chloe, we don't know that he's not RUNNING from something either."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying if he's brought some kind of danger with him, maybe 'Motel 6' is the place for him, instead of our home."

"Come on, honey! What kind of danger could Clark bring? I mean what, like loansharks or something?"

But Connor remembered the glimpse he had gotten of Clark's strength, back in Smallville. No, he was not thinking of loan sharks. But of something, or someone, who was every bit Kent's match.

"Connor? What? I can't ask him to leave."

"Okay, let's skip, Clark. Explain to me again why Lois and Faith don't get along?"

Chloe shrugged.

"You know, I really don't remember now. You know the two of them are a lot alike in ways. Maybe that's it."

Connor walked to the kitchen doorway and looked out. Angel and Faith were talking by themselves. Clark was talking to Kyle on the couch. Lois wasn't even in the room. So far, things seemed to be going just fine.

"So, this Home Depot Power Deluxe Tool set sounds pretty neat, hey?" Clark asked the boy that he now knew as his and Lois's son. He could even see some of Lois in him.

Everyone else called him 'Kyle'.

"Yep! Only I had to give mine to Wyatt Haliwell. It was his birthday."

"Your mother made you give this Wyatt your toy?" Clark asked, a bit skeptical. Kyle then began to grin!

"Well....mine hasn't been brought yet. I have to wait until Christmas."

Clark cast a glance over at Faith and Angel, who were next to the fireplace, talking. He then whispered conspiratorally to his son.

"I think I may have one of those lying around."

"Really?"

"Yes. Next time you come over to see Cordy, I'll give it to you. But it has to be a secret that I'm giving it to you for now, okay?"

Kyle nodded quickly, just as Cordy came running over to join then. Clark did not notice that Angel glanced over at him. He had been listening to Faith go on about Kyle. He had also picked up that bit of conversation with Clark and Kyle. Faith was not going to like that at all.

"So, you see that I'm right, don't you?" Faith asked him. Angel concentrated on her.

"No, I don't. Faith, if you take Kyle and run, anything could happen."

"Like?"

"Like you don't know if there are limitations to what he can do. We don't know if his powers have developed....maybe we should find out who Kyle's real parents are."

"No."

"Faith, it's time. Now it was okay when Dan and you thought you were adopting a normal, little boy. But this is Wolfram & Hart we're dealing with. In the end, Dan should've known what he was getting into."

"Dan was just trying to make me happy." Faith said in a testy manner. Angel immediately felt like dirt. The pain of her husband's death was still very fresh.

"I know that. But this has to be dealt with. Chances are, that Kyle might not have been turned over willingly to an adoption agency."

Now, it was Clark that was picking up snatches of Faith and Angel's conversation. Angel had nodded to him, when he first arrived, making Clark think that something happened(probably a spell similar to the one used on Lois) that made him, Connor and Chloe forget what they had been through, two years before.

Clark began to listen intently, ignoring Cordy and Kyle's chatter. What was that about finding Kyle's real parents?

He was forced to stop, when Chloe dropped down next to him on the couch.

"Chloe, dinner was great."

"Yep, it was. You know, I'm worried about you."

"Well don't be. I'm fine. I'm not 'crazy', like everyone else thinks I am."

"Uh, I didn't realize you knew people were saying that?"

Clark smiled.

"Yeah, in a small town, even one that you've left, word gets around."

"Well, Lois certainly knows what you went through."

"How so?"

"You remember all of that weird crap people were saying about her? You know, about her having some kind of rash when she didn't? I mean what was up with that?"

"Uh, yeah, I never heard that much about it."

Chloe rubbed her chin.

"Hmmmm. That was just so weird....that and your breaking up with Lana, the love of your life."

"Chloe, she's engaged to Lex now."

"Yeah and I'm sure he'll make her miserable."

"Now that's not fair. Lex has his good points."

Chloe shrugged.

"I guess....I guess I always figured that the two of you would end up together. Listen, I'm going to put Cordy to bed, then I have a surprise for you. Something that might make you think things through a little."

"Think things through? As in break up Lana and Lex?"

Chloe gave him a mischievous smile and stood up.

"Come on, young lady! It's time for bed."

"No!" Cordy squealed. Angel stopped talking to Faith and walked over to her.

"Cordy? Cordy? How about if I read you a bedtime story?"

"Okay!" she yelled, jumping into his arms. Connor, who had just re-entered the room, smiled at the sight. Faith walked over to Kyle.

"How about walking me all the way home."

"We just live next door." Kyle grinned.

"I know but I need protection from all of the crickets out there." Faith cajoled him. Kyle threw his arms around her neck. Clark flinched at the sight. He realized he had no real plan for getting Kyle back. For getting his son away from this Faith woman.

Faith looked at Clark.

"Goodnight, Clark. I know we didn't get much of a chance to talk, but since you'll be staying here, maybe we'll talk again soon."

"I'd like that." Clark said, then bent down to talk to Kyle.

"Goodnight, Kyle. I'll see you soon, okay?"

Kyle grinned and reached out to shake Clark's hand. When their fingers touched, Connor saw something odd happen. Something that he suspected Faith, Clark and Kyle, missed.

On the floor around Clark and Kyle, was some sort of emblem. Connor only caught a flash of it, before it disappeared.

It disappeared when Kyle let go of Clark. What the hell?!

Faith and Kyle left. Clark stood staring at the closed door for a moment, then turned back to look at Connor. Connor was about to say something to him, something not very nice, when Lois came down the stairs.

"Lois, you just missed Kyle." Clark said.

"Who?"

"Our......Faith's little boy."

"You mean, bitch?"

"Lois!" Connor yelled from across the room. Lois held her hands up in a defensive posture.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Lois said, not sounding sorry. She flopped down onto the couch and reached for a potato chip. Connor eyed Clark again, before heading upstairs. He needed to talk to Angel about what he had just seen. Clark Kent, of all people, was connected to Kyle. But how? That emblem appeared when their fingers touched....why?

That left Clark and Lois alone.

Clark walked over and sat down next to Lois on the couch.

"So."

"So." Lois said, reaching for another potato chip.

"So, you don't like Kyle's mother?"

"No, I don't."

"Why?"

"Does it matter?"

"Humor me, Lois."

"No, Clark, why don't you humor me."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, why are you here? I know why I'm here, to start a new job. Why are you crashing here?"

"I'm searching for something."

"What? The meaning of life?"

"Oh, ha, ha, Lois! I forgot how annoying you can be!"

"You thought I was annoying?" she asked in mock shock. "Oh my! I am so hurt!"

Clark said nothing to that. He then slid into another topic.

"So....how long have you been taking that stuff for depression?"

Lois stared at him, then put down the chip she was getting ready to eat. She stood up.

"Where are you going?" Clark asked, standing up as well.

"You know, you were kind of far away from that bottle I had. There is no way that you could've known what was on it, unless you rummaged through my things!"

"Lois, no! I saw it! It wasn't THAT far away."

"Whatever! I'm not staying here if you're here." Lois said coldly, trying to move past him. But Clark held her arms.

"Lois, I'm not asking you this, to be nosy or to make fun of you. Is it not possible that I could care that you were depressed? It seems as if you still are."

Lois did not tell him to let go of her.

"Do you know how it feels to be depressed about nothing? I shouldn't feel the way I do, but I do."

Clark stared down at her. It was the baby. It was Kyle. There was something inside of her that remembered that things were not as they should be. In an odd way, that gave Clark hope that everything would work out.

He then wondered what was 'everything'? So it came out that he was Kyle's father? How did he get Lois to remember that she was his mother?

Chloe came back down the stairs and took in the scene, frowning.

"Hey guys, what's going on?"

Clark let go of Lois.

"Nothing." he said softly. Lois nodded.

"Yeah, nothing." she echoed. "I'm going to bed. I've got to get an early start tomorrow."

Lois moved past Clark and walked up to Chloe. She started to hug her, when she saw she was carrying something.

"What is that?" she asked. Chloe smiled at her cousin, then walked up to Clark.

"This, Clark, is a reminder of Lana, the woman I know you still love. She left this at my house, back when she lived with me."

Clark tilted his head and smiled.

"What is that?"

Lois didn't move herself. She wanted to see what this little 'blast from the past' was herself.

Chloe handed Clark a box. He opened it, then collapsed to the floor, looking sick! Lois hurried over to him, as did Chloe.

"Clark? Clark, what is it?" Chloe asked. Lois looked at the trinket. It was some chain with a green rock on the end of it.

The front door opened and Kyle came running in.

"Mommy asked me to come back here and get her jacket. She forgot...."

Kyle saw his new friend on the floor and hurried over. Clark began breathing raggedly.

"Lois.....Lois....get him away from it....get our.....get Kyle away from it."

Lois stared down at Clark. What was he saying?! What did he want Kyle to stay away from?

Kyle saw the necklace and made a grab for it, picking it up and taking it away from Clark. He instantly felt better and sat up, gaping at his son in shock.

The Kryptonite didn't appear to affect him at all. 


	3. The New Theory

Chapter 3

Connor and Angel stood on the stairs, as Chloe helped Clark up, while Lois took Lana's necklace from Kyle.

"That's mine!" the little boy yelled. He didn't like this woman. He could tell his mommy didn't like her either.

Lois ignored him and looked the trinket over. Had Clark had that attack just now, because he was distraught over Lana? Or was it something else? Something physical?

Clark felt better, but not as well as he would've felt, if Lana's necklace was out of this house and away from his son! Yet, Kyle looked completely unaffected. Was it possible that Kryptonite did not hurt him at all? Maybe because of Lois?

He had to know for sure.

"Lois, it's okay. Let him have the necklace." Clark said. Chloe raised a brow.

"Clark, Kyle can't have it. It's Lana's. I always meant to return it to her, but just never got around to it. I couldn't give it away."

"Just let him hold it, that's all." Clark said, getting his strength back. But Lois was still holding it, looking it over. It looked like a cheap piece of glass to her.

Angel and Connor could see the necklace too, from their vantage point. Angel backed up the stairs.

"That's that rock!" he hissed. "The one that turned me back into Angelus! Where did it come from?"

A re-emergence of Angelus, was the last thing this party needed. Connor shook his head.

"I don't know. But did you see the way it affected Clark?"

Angel's eyes moved from the necklace, to Clark Kent. He had a sudden flash of memory. When he had attacked that college class and Connor and Kent showed up. He had been wearing a ring with that same kind of rock in it. When he had went up against Clark Kent there, the guy practically passed out, before he could lay a hand on him. It was odd, now that Angel thought back, because he could sense that Clark had great power, but was not using if for some reason. Connor had even alluded to it.

That and he had broken a fang on Kent's neck. Angel looked at Connor.

"Remember when I told you that I broke a fang on his neck? Remember?" he asked Connor. Connor looked from his father, to Clark. Kyle had knocked over a fence, showing an incredible amount of strength that no human had. The same kind of strength he had glimpsed in Clark, back in Smallville.

"So, what do you think that emblem that appeared on the floor meant?" Connor whispered.

"I don't know. But I think for Faith and Kyle's sakes, we have to go back to the beginning."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning Wolfram & Hart. Dan Gordon arranged Kyle's adoption through them. I'll go back there tonight and look over some files. Maybe there will be some answers there."

"Answers like what? Like that Kyle is related to Clark? That Clark could possibly be one of his real parents? Then who's his mother? And how do we tell Faith any of this?"

"I don't know. But Connor, you said yourself that Clark's appearance here is out of the blue. I watched him with Kyle tonight. Maybe he's the reason he's here."

"Faith isn't going to let Kyle go. She isn't just going to give him back." Connor said. Angel shook his head.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We don't know anything for sure. Let's just let things rest for the night....and keep that damned rock the hell away from me!"

Connor and Angel went back up the stairs, while Clark asked Lois, AGAIN, to give the rock back to Kyle.

"Clark, he's a boy! He doesn't need a necklace." Lois sniffed.

"Just let him hold it." Clark said tiredly. God! The mother of his child was just as much a child as their son!

"Fine! There you go, kid! Goodnight!" Lois said, handing over the necklace, which was promptly snatched from her hand. Lois headed upstairs, while Kyle looked it over. Clark watched him, while Chloe watched Clark watch Kyle. What the heck was going on here? Was she missing something?

Nothing. Kyle didn't look sick or anything. Chloe walked over to him and gently took the necklace from him.

"Kyle, this belongs to someone and I have to give it back. Your mother's jacket is over there, okay?"

"Okay!" he chirped and ran over to a chair in the corner. He grabbed his mother's jacket and ran to the door.

"Don't run, Kyle! Goodnight!" Chloe called out to him.

"Goodnight!" Kyle called out. He smiled at Clark.

"Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, Kyle." was all Clark could manage, as he suddenly felt a lump in his throat. It wasn't right that his son was going home to someone else's house. 

Chloe put the necklace away and then, waved a hand in front of Clark's face. He was still staring at the now closed front door.

"Clark? Clark?"

Clark blinked, then focused on her.

"I'm sorry."

"Clark, I think we should talk about Lana. The reaction you had to seeing her necklace again... obviously you still have some very powerful feelings for her. Maybe you should tell her how you feel."

Clark kissed her on the cheek, just as Angel and Connor walked down the stairs. Connor felt like growling! Clark Kent, for the short time he knew him back in Smallville, had always questioned his feelings for Chloe, as if Kent didn't believe his love for Chloe was sincere. Connor had always found that galling, especially coming from someone who had broken his wife's heart, too many times to count.

Chloe looked up first.

"Angel? You're heading out?"

"Uh, yeah. Early start tomorrow. Cordy is fast asleep." Angel said, his gaze moving from Chloe, to Clark. He held out his hand.

"It was nice seeing you again, Clark."

"Likewise." Clark said, returning the handshake. Angel could feel that Kent's grip was firm, in an almost painful way.

"I'll walk you out." Connor said. They moved to the door. Angel opened it, then, peered back at Clark and Chloe.

"I'll let you know the minute I find out anything." he whispered to his son.

"And then?"

"Connor, if Kyle is Clark's son, then chances are he was stolen. You know what that means."

"It means that Faith gets her heart broken."

"Yes....but it also means doing the right thing."

"Faith is so alone right now. Kyle is all she has."

"Faith is a survivor. She'll get through it. But let's find out if our suspicions are correct, before we decide that all is lost here. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Connor said, closing the door after him. He then turned back to Chloe and Clark, only to find Chloe standing there.

"Where's Clark?"

"Oh, he decided to go to bed. You know, with the exception of Lana's necklace, I think the night went well, don't you?"

"You would!"

"Oh come on! Lois and Faith didn't get into a fight. The kids had a good time. Angel and you even got in a little whispering time."

Connor didn't answer that. He knew that was a dig at how secretive he and Angel had looked just now. He reached for her.

"You know that I don't mean to keep things from you. But I will tell you, that something is going on with Faith. Something that may make it imperative that we find out who Kyle's real parents are."

Chloe backed away a little.

"What? What does that mean? Is it possible that Faith could lose Kyle?"

"Let's hope not." Connor answered.

Two hours later, Clark came back from a trip to the bathroom. He could see that Lois's light was still on. He padded over to her door and knocked softly.

"Come in!" she called out. Clark opened the door and found Lois sitting up in bed, reading a copy of the 'Bay Mirror' newspaper. She was wearing a pink sleep tank with matching bottoms.

Lois looked up. Clark was wearing black pajama bottoms and nothing else. That dream she always had of him came to mind, and she put aside the paper and got up.

"Excuse me. I just have to get a drink of water. Make yourself at home." she said padding by him. Clark frowned, thinking it odd. But he cleared away some space on her bed and sat on it. He picked up the paper and began skimming it. His eyes fell upon an advice column called 'Ask Phoebe'.

Clark was in the middle of reading something about a woman who couldn't get her boyfriend to pop the question, after 6 years, when Lois returned, with a glass of water. She eyed him, sipped more, then closed the door. Lois then walked over to the other side of the bed and sat down, setting the glass on a table.

"Well, what brings you to my room in the middle of the night?"

"It's not really the middle of the night. It's almost midnight." Clark corrected her.

"Yes, well let's not quibble about that. Why are you here?"

"Maybe I wanted to continue our conversation from before."

Lois pretended to think.

"Oh, you mean the nosy interrogation I was going through, before you passed out at seeing Lana's necklace?"

"I didn't pass out."

"Well what was that? I mean it was practically a seizure!"

If anyone, had told Clark, that the mother of his child would be Lois Lane, he would laughed in their face. Then he would've yelled at them, then he would laughed in their face again.

"That was not a seizure....look, can we get back to the medication?"

"No. It's none of your business, Clark. I'm fine and I'd appreciate it if you didn't spread it all around that I'm on meds, okay?"

Clark realized that maybe this was not the tactic to take with her. On some level, Lois had no understanding as to why he was so curious. The only relationship she remembers having with him, was through Chloe really.

"Fine. No one will hear it from me. So....tell me about this job you start tomorrow?"

"Why?"

Now Clark was exasperated!

"Maybe I just want to know what's going on with you. It's called 'catching up'."

"You know what's been going on with me." she answered in a calm voice. "I've been depressed for the past two years and trying to hide it. Look, I get that you care, I just don't want to talk about it. I'm here to start a new life. And yet I don't know why I need one."

Clark reached for her hand. Lois stared down at it.

"Let me pose a hypothetical situation to you: what if you were depressed because....oh....let's say you had had a baby back in Smallville...."

"HA!" Lois snorted, taking her hand from his. "Yeah, that's very hypothetical!"

But Clark reached for her hand again, puzzling Lois.

"Yes it is. But let me just finish laying out the scenario, okay?"

"Okay, it's your scenario."

"Anyway, you had a baby and it was....I don't know....stolen from you for whatever reason and your memory was erased. Meaning you didn't remember being pregnant or giving birth. Maybe that could account for it?"

Lois pulled her hand from his.

"You're here in town to pitch a screenplay or something, right? Because what you just told me would only happen in a movie or something and NO, I am not depressed over anything like that."

"But you wouldn't know it, Lois. You wouldn't know it because of some spell or something."

Despite the incredulity of such a situation, Lois found herself intrigued.

"Okay, okay. Let's just say that something like that happened. Not that I believe it did, but let's just say I go along with your line of thinking. Who would the father of this baby be?"

Clark shrugged.

"Someone that you turned to during a crisis or a vulnerable moment."

"And this man took advantage of me?"

Clark coughed! He had been wearing that red Kryptonite ring!

"I don't think he believes that, no."

"So you don't have a name for this father to be?"

"Not a specific one, no." Clark lied.

"Well....a spell in Smallville....and that was a weird town. Yeah, I could see something happening like that to some poor girl. Not me, though. But....."

Suddenly, she stared at Clark.

"Oh God!"

"What?" Clark asked, wondering if he had jogged her memory some. She was giving him the strangest look.

"What is it Lois? Did you remember anything?"

"About what?" she asked, shaking her head slightly.

"About why you've been depressed?"

Lois waved a hand impatiently.

"Forget me, Clark. I'm sorry. I should've realized what you were trying to tell me."

Now Clark was totally confused!

"What I was trying to tell you?" he repeated.

Now Lois was the one that reached for his hand.

"This is why you're here, isn't it? This happened to you and some girl, didn't it? Lana?"

"Uh, no Lois...."

But Lois could feel she was onto something! Was it Lana? God! She was set to marry Lex and her and Clark had a secret lovechild somewhere! What a great first story that would make for the Bay Mirror!

But could she do that to Clark? Or even Lana? Publicize their heartbreak?

No. But she could help them. God, his whole reaction to the necklace tonight....it all made sense now!

"No, Lois, nothing like that happened to Lana or I. Lana and I just grew apart. I wish her all of the happiness in the world with Lex. I guess I'd better let you get some sleep. Goodnight." he said, pulling her hand from his.

"Goodnight, Clark." Lois answered, watching him leave her room. Clark was lying. Why would he tell her such a convoluted story, if it wasn't true? It's not like Clark was some sort of creative writer or something. He had been speaking from experience just now.

Lois set aside her paper. She would help Clark. He was here to find his missing child. Maybe he already had, and just didn't want to get Lana's hopes up by telling her....

Lois reached for her lamp and turned it off. Suddenly she felt better, happier. She had a purpose now. She would find Clark and Lana's lovechild and reunite them.

Angel looked through the Kyle Gordon's adoption file. Nothing. Nada.

Kyle's mother was a crack addict that had died of an overdose. Kyle's father was unknown. Why would Clark Kent have slept with a crack addict?

There was nothing here that linked Kyle to Clark or anyone else. Angel was about to put the file back, when he realized he couldn't. Something was blocking it. Angel reached in and found a security tape. One that was dated two years ago. It read 'Lobby Outside of Angel's Office'. Angel frowned. What the hell had went on outside of his office, that was worth keeping on tape, much less in this file cabinet? 


	4. Secrets and Lies

Chapter 4

Lois hurried down the stairs the next morning, dressed in black suit, with a skirt and high heels. She hummed as she made her way into the kitchen, where Chloe, Cordy and Clark already were.

"Well, I see Daddy is missing. Connor have an early class or something?" Lois asked, taking the orange juice that Chloe was about to hand to Clark. He rolled his eyes and got up to get his own.

"Something like that." Chloe said in a tight sounding voice. Lois eyed her, as did Clark, but neither pushed the subject. Chloe noted that Cordy was done with her breakfast.

"Let's go upstairs and get changed, okay? We're going to the park with Kyle today."

"You are?" Clark asked, in between sips of his orange juice. "Do you think Faith would mind if I came along?"

"Oh Faith won't be with us. She has to work and I look after Kyle while she's gone."

"Really? Does she pay you?" Lois asked, sitting down.

"No! Faith is on a budget. I mean affording and maintaining that house is hard enough work without Dan's salary. I don't mind."

"I think that's nice." Clark said, looking at Lois. Lois was smearing some sort of jam on a bagel. She did not comment, as she looked through the morning paper. Chloe pulled Cordy out of her chair and left the kitchen. Clark looked at Lois.

"You look nice today." he commented.

"I know." she answered.

"Your welcome." Clark said, shaking his head. Lois put down the paper and wagged a finger at him.

"I think you lied to me last night, Clark Kent."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, Smallville. That 'hypothetical' situation you were talking about last night? We were really talking about Lana and you, weren't we?"

"Lana?"

"Clark, come on! You had a seizure last night when you saw that necklace...."

"Lois, for the last time, I did not have a seizure!"

"Okay, okay! There's no need to get sensitive. I just think that you're here in San Francisco, because you want to find your lovechild. Maybe Lana isn't the mother....which would mean that you cheated on her at some point. But that's neither here nor there...."

"Actually, Lois, let me ask you something: what kind of a woman do you think I would cheat on Lana with?"

"So you are admitting it? Lana is not the mother of your lovechild?"

"I'm not admitting anything. I told you last night the whole thing was hypothetical. And I was applying it to you."

"Yes, but you were only applying it to me, do deflect suspicion off of yourself!"

"What?!"

Lois scooted her chair towards him.

"Look, Clark, you don't have to be ashamed. I mean, obviously, either your child was stolen, either by the woman you had the kid by or...or the kid was stolen from both of you, is that it?"

Clark was not ready to admit anything to Lois. He didn't think she was ready to hear any of it. Even if she thought it didn't apply to herself.

"How about I answer your question, when you answer mine?"

"About?"

"About what kind of woman you think I would cheat on Lana with?"

"So you are admitting you cheated on her?" "Lois! Just answer my question."

"Why? What does it matter what type of woman she was...or is?"

"Just humor me."

Lois became quiet and stared at him. She then began recalling her own vivid, sensual dreams she had of making love to him....someplace.....the place was never really clear. Lois calmly stood up and walked over to the sink to get a drink of water!

"Lois? Are you alright?"

Lois did not answer, but drank the glass down. When she caught her breath again, she looked at him.

"I'm fine. Now, back to your question: what type of woman would you cheat on Lana Lang with? The answer is some hussy/tramp."

Clark raised a brow.

"Really?"

"Yes, really!"

"So, what does this tramp look like in your mind?" Clark asked.

"That's two questions, Clark. Now you answer one of mine: was I right? Are you here looking for something...or someone? Is that why you left Smallville?"

"That's more than one too." Clark reminded her.

"Clark!"

Clark scrutinized her. Maybe this could be a way to ease Lois into finding out the truth. He leaned back in his chair.

"Okay, Lois. Yes, I am here looking for my son."

Lois just stared at him.

"You have a son?"

"Yes."

"With who? Lana isn't the mother, is she? Though you did say something about maybe a spell would make her not remember or something?"

"Yes, I did say that, didn't I?"

"Clark, I could help you! My investigative skills are top notch! I could help you find your son."

How are your mothering skills? Clark thought.

"Clark? Did you hear me?"

"Lois, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't tell anyone. I mean it. I'm just not ready for everyone to know."

Lois nodded, though she wondered if 'everyone' included his parents. Did they know? Her mind then jumped to Kyle Gordon. Clark's apparent fondess for the boy, probably stemmed from the fact that he had a son somewhere out there.

Somewhere in San Francisco.

"Okay, Clark. My lips are sealed." she said standing up and patting him on the head as if he were a dog. Clark straighted up his hair.

"Good luck today." Clark said. Lois nodded, but her mind was on her conversation with Clark. She hadn't expected to be right. She really hadn't expected him to admit everything so easily.

"Oh and Lois?"

Lois pulled herself out of her reverie, and looked at Clark.

"Tonight, you're going to answer that question for me."

Now Lois looked puzzled.

"What question?"

"About what the woman I would cheat on Lana with, looks like?"

Lois grinnned!

"I can answer that now! She was probably some cheap red-head, of course." Lois said with surprising certainty, before turning to walk out of the kitchen. Clark shook his head, just as Chloe walked back into the kitchen.

"Where's Cordy?"

"Upstairs putting away some of her toys. Her room didn't look like that last night. Lois is gone I see."

"Uh yes. Listen, are you alright?"

Chloe sat down at the table across from Clark.

"Yes, of course."

"Okay.....it's just that when Lois asked about Connor, you looked kind of funny."

Chloe took a deep breath.

"Connor went to L.A. this morning. He's at Wolfram & Hart."

"That's his father's business, right?" Clark asked, trying to sound obtuse.

"Yes. His visit has to do with Faith."

"Faith? Why?"

"Connor wouldn't say much, except that Faith could lose Kyle."

Clark had been about to but a bagel in his mouth, when she said that.

"What do you mean?"

"Dan, that was Faith's late husband, he arranged Kyle's adoption through Angel's firm. All Connor would say is that something has come up, that makes it imperative that they find out who Kyle's real parents are."

Clark dropped his bagel onto his plate. Was it possible that he wouldn't have to sit back and lie? Was there something on paper somewhere, that named him and Lois as Kyle's biological parents?

"I just feel bad for Faith. I mean I know that boy is her whole world."

Before Clark could answer, he and Chloe both heard Faith call out hello. Chloe stood up as Clark eyed Faith's work outfit. She was wearing a contruction uniform. Kyle was holding her hard hat. Faith was a construction worker? How? He knew what he was thinking was sexist, and it wasn't as if there weren't women construction workers, but somehow he just hadn't been expectiing this.

"Hey Clark! How goes it this morning?" Faith addressed him.

"Uh, not bad. And yourself?"

"Five by five."

"What?" he asked, a bit confused. Kyle giggled. Chloe smiled.

"That's a Faith phrase....never mind. Faith, Clark and I will be escorting Cordy and Kyle to the park today."

Kyle peeked up at Clark. He was glad he was coming. Today would be fun. Clark smiled down at his son. He wondered how long it would take Connor and Angel, to figure out Kyle's true origins today?

Spike and Wesley, shook their heads, as they watched the videotape for the third time. Angel paced the room, while Connor just sat in a chair frowning.

"Where is Gunn?" Angel asked.

"Addressing the senior partners about getting Lilah up here from hell. Apparently she's in negotiations down there."

"I don't care!" Angel snapped. "She was the lawyer that handled Kyle's adoption and she knows what that is we're looking at on the tape."

"Why don't you settle down over there, mate." Spike said in a cool voice. "We don't know that Faith's kid and this tape are even related."

Wesley stood up.

"You know, we could've been sucked into a portal?"

"A portal that apparently we're still in!" Angel huffed. Connor shook his head.

"Look who's with us though in this tape. General Lane and Luthor. Why were they in this building?"

"There's no evidence that they were here. Just that Lex Luthor is a client of this firm." Wesley pointed out.

"Look, guys, that tape was in the spot where Kyle's adoption file was. I don't think that was an accident. Now the best we can figure is that those wavey things we were sucked into, were part of a spell." Angel said.

"A spell to reverse time, for some reason." Wesley concluded.

"So, do you think that we knew who Kyle's real parents were, before those wavey things got to us?" Spike asked.

Connor stood up.

"I know who Kyle's father is already."

"Connor...." Angel said warningly. Wesley eyed them both.

"What's going on?"

Angel took a deep breath.

"Someone from Smallville is staying with Connor. He appears to have taken an interest in Kyle."

"It's more than that!" Connor snapped. "Kyle touched this person and when he did, the two of them appeared inside a....a....I don't know, like a family crest or something. I know Clark Kent is Kyle's father."

"Clark Kent? Poor Kyle's real father is some ponce named Clark?" Spike smirked. Wesley took a deep breath.

"Faith needs to know this."

"Faith wants to run." Angel said.

"If what Connor says is true about Kyle's abilities, then he gets them from either one or both of his parents. Connor, does this Clark Kent have any powers that you have seen?"

Connor nodded slowly.

"And you don't know who the mother is?" Wesley asked him. Again, Connor shook his head.

"He used to go out with a woman named Lana Lang. She's engaged to Lex Luthor. If there was a spell, maybe, just maybe, Lana doesn't remember having Kyle. Maybe....I don't know."

"We won't know until we hear from Gunn. We need Lilah up here." Angel said.

Charles Gunn fell back into his chair, the file slipping from his fingers and onto the table. He looked at Lilah.

"I can't believe I'm reading this."

Lilah smirked, then stared out of the window.

"It's true. This is the original deal we made with Connor."

Gunn licked his lips.

"So....this deal here....the one where he entered The Initiative to protect his wife and unborn child.....in the end, this was about Connor covering his butt, right? The General had to have known the truth too?"

"At the time, yes. He wouldn't remember it now." Lilah answered him.

"Damn, damn, damn!" Gunn huffed, shaking his head.

Lilah said nothing. Gunn then stood up.

"I can't keep this from Angel! Damn, he's the most affected by this! And what the hell is wrong with Connor here? Why doesn't he just tell the truth?"

"Could you if you were in his situation? You know Angel...."

"I do know him! That's why he has to be told the truth here!"

"That isn't going to happen. And your affection for him is going to keep you from confronting anyone about this."

Gunn said nothing for a moment. He then took a deep breath.

"You at least have to help us with that video. I didn't send for you for nothing."

"I can tell you but it won't matter. When Kyle Gordon reaches adulthood, he belongs to Wolfram & Hart. And neither his mother, the vampire slayer, nor his biological parents, will be able to stop this firm from collecting on what's ours."

"We'll see, won't we?" Gunn challenged her. He snatched the file up and left the conference room. Lilah dissolved into mist, and returned to her own part of hell. 


	5. The File

Chapter 5

Lois put down her phone, just as her new boss, Elise, dropped a file down on her desk. Lois looked at it, then at Elise.

"What is this?"

"Your new assignment. If you can make something out of this, then it might make up for your faux pas this morning."

Lois sighed and glanced over at the window into Phoebe Halliwell's office. Lois then looked back at Elise.

"I thought that was my new office."

"I never said you were getting one. You have a nice desk, out here with the other minions. When you prove yourself worthy, then maybe you can have an office."

"Really?" Lois asked, leaning back in her chair. "I don't see a lot of empty offices just waiting to be occupied."

"Phoebe's is not for the taking."

Lois shrugged.

"Fine. I just don't see what makes her so important. I mean I could do what she does. Give out advice. I'm very good at that."

"So I gathered." Elise answered wryly.

"My point is this: I'm here to do real, gritty reporting. I think I'm more deserving of an office than some advice columnist."

Elise motioned to Lois to lean forward. Lois did so.

"Phoebe knows that you briefly dated the owner of this paper, Jason Dean, her ex-boyfriend as well. There is also the very strong impression around here, that he is how you got this job. Now, if you want to disprove that, then bring me a real story. One that makes Phoebe's 'Ask Phoebe' column, obsolete."

Elise then walked off. Lois eyed the folder again, then picked it up and opened it. It was filled with information about some missing scientist named, Dr. Swann.

Lois tossed the folder down and picked up her phone. She dialed long distance, then waited....and waited. Finally, she got the Luthor residence. Lois then asked to speak to Lana Lang, telling the servant who she was. It seemed like an eternity until Lana finally came to the phone.

"Hello?"

"Lana? It's Lois.....Lois Lane."

"Yes." came her stilted reply. "I remember you. How are you?"

"I'm fine, thought not as well as you're doing. You know I once had a small crush on Lex myself."

"Is that why you're calling? To tell me you plan to stop our wedding?"

Lois emitted a fake laugh, one that she noticed Lana didn't join in on. Was Lana serious? Did the woman actually think she had designs on Lex?

"Uh no. That was small talk, so I could build up to want I wanted to talk about."

"Which is?"

"Lana, not to be rude, but I'm sensing a whiff of attitude from you."

"Can you blame me?"

"Uh, yes! Especially when I've never done anything to you."

"Oh, so you still think that, huh?"

Lois looked around the room, as if she were afraid everyone could hear Lana on her end.

"Look, I won't keep you, since hearing from me is obviously an unpleasant experience, for whatever reason. But Clark is here."

"Oh? Where is here?"

"San Francisco. He's staying with Chloe. So am I actually."

"My, how cozy."

"Lana, I'm just going to come out with it here: Clark told me he has a son. He also thinks that maybe the mother of this child has no memory of giving birth to him. I want to help Clark and I thought you might want to too."

There was a very long silence. Lois thought Lana may have hung up.

"Lana? Lana, are you still there?"

"Why are you calling me, Lois?"

"I told you. I thought you might want to help."

"No you didn't. You're snooping for something. Somekind of information that Clark won't give you. Like who the mother of this child is. You think it's me, don't you?"

Lois cleared her throat.

"I take it from your hostile tone, that you are not the mother of this child. That's good for your future marriage to Lex....I guess. I don't suppose you have a clue as to who the mother is, do you?"

"You know, I really don't want to get dragged into this."

Lois sat up in her chair.

"You do know who she is, don't you Lana?"

"Oh, you bet I do!"

Lois said nothing. Lana sounded so hurt and bitter. Lana was NOT this kid's mother. Clark probably had to confess and Lana was still hurt. It was then that Lois began to wonder if Lana really was over Clark? The woman was getting ready to marry Lex Luthor....was this a rebound marriage?

Lois cleared her throat.

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to share the identity of this woman, would you?"

"I think you should talk to Clark, Lois, before I say something I may regret."

"Lana, I care for Clark, really I do. I just want to help him. I won't even tell him where I found out about it...."

"How about I give you a hint, Lois? What if I told you that this woman is someone you have to look at everyday?"

"Are you being funny?"

"There was nothing funny about finding out that Clark cheated on me! There was nothing funny about finding out that Clark decided that his first time should be with someone else!"

"Clark was a virgin?"

"Like you didn't know!"

"How the hell would I know?! I'm just asking a question!"

"Look, I'm sick to death of talking to you. If Clark had just been upfront with you, I wouldn't have to put up with the indignity of talking to you!"

"Indignity? Lana, I think you'd just better tell me what the hell your problem is? Now, before I...."

Lana hung up. Lois peered around her. Elise was watching her. Lois painted on a smile.

"That was a hot lead on....on...." Lois began, looking at the folder again. "Dr. Swann's disappearance. A lead that's going to have to take me out of the office."

Elise walked over.

"Really? It sounded kind of personal to me."

"Well it wasn't. I....I....found out that Dr. Swann may have had a lovechild before he disappeared."

Elise's eyes lit up, at the potential of a trashy story.

"Really?"

"Yes, I just have to go and confirm some things."

"Alright, Lois. I'll trust your instincts."

Lois nodded, picked up her purse and hightailed it out of the newsroom. She was going back home to confront Clark! The mother of his child was someone she knew. That was what Lana had been trying to tell her. But why cop an attitude with her? Or was Lana just angry with the whole world?

No, Lana was angry with her. Specifically with her. Something else was going on here and Lois intended to find out what that was.

Chloe and Clark kept careful eyes on Cordy and Kyle, as they ran around. Clark reached for a sandwich and decided to broach another topic.

"So, I haven't seen Lois in awhile. She seems the same." Clark said diplomatically.

Chloe shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess."

"You guess?"

"Yeah. I mean we sort of lost touch after Faith's wedding."

"Lois was at Faith's wedding?"

"Yes."

"So you knew Faith's late husband?"

"Yes, Dan."

"Well, that had to be kind of uncomfortable....you know, Lois and Faith in the same room?"

"Uh...well Faith and Lois got along just fine until the wedding reception. That and I think the whole thing was more uncomfortable for our neighbor and her husband, down the street."

"Why?" Clark asked, chomping on a sandwich.

"Because she used to go out with Dan. But they managed to stay friends."

"Oh. Well what happened with Lois?"

"Clark, I'm not sure I should say anything...."

"Chloe, I'm just curious, that's all. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Chloe kept an eye on Cordy and Kyle, before speaking.

"Okay, okay. I know you won't go spreading this around. Lois got strangely drunk at the reception and kissed Dan."

"I don't understand. I mean maybe she was congratulating him...."

"Uh no, Clark. I saw the kiss. Lois was all over Dan. She claimed she trying to 'wipe cake from his face'. And what bothered me, was that Faith kept yelling about Lois being 'on something'. Lois can handle her liquor, this much I know. I always wondered if she didn't mix the liquor with something else and...."

But Clark had tuned Chloe out. Lois could have accidentally mixed her depression medication with the liquor. He just couldn't see Lois jumping the groom like that.

"I don't know. Maybe she was just drunk. I shouldn't have said anything. I mean I know nothing for sure. And I've asked Lois and she just always is tight-lipped. It worries me."

"Why?"

Chloe shrugged.

"She never used to be that way. Things just really changed...for all of us."

Clark was quiet for a moment, before he brought up another subject.

"Tell me about Faith."

"What about her?"

"Well....like how is that she works in construction? Her being...well, you know...."

"A woman? I don't know. I do know she's someone from Angel's past. Connor knows her too. But when I've tried to ask those same questions, I get the runaround."

"And that doesn't bother you?"

"Sometimes. But I trust Connor. And I just think he's respecting Faith's privacy is all."

That answer did not satisfy Clark. He wanted to know what kind of woman was taking care of his son. He would have to find out on his own, he guessed.

Clark looked over at Cordy and Kyle. Cordy had thrown a ball at Kyle and he missed it. It ran into the street and Kyle followed after it, just as a car was coming.

"Kyle!" Clark yelled, jumping up at super speed to save his son. But it was too late....or so he thought.

The car hit Kyle, and the front bumper fell off, while the rest of the front of the car, smashed in. Kyle began to cry, as Clark picked him up and held him. The owner of the car got out and began to scream about his car!

Chloe picked up Cordy, who was crying as well. What the hell had they just witnessed? She walked over to Clark, who was coming back with Kyle. The owner of the car was still yelling.

"Clark! What the hell is going on? What did you do? What....what happened to that guy's car?"

"Let's go, Chloe! Let's go now!"

"No! Now you scared my daughter and you've scared me! How did you get to him so fast? What are you keeping from me?"

"Leave it alone, Chloe! I can't explain it to you, anymore than I can explain it to that guy, so let's go!"

"I want you to put Kyle down, now! Put him down, then go back to the house and pack your things!"

"Chloe!"

"I mean it! I don't know what's going on, but my responsibility is to Faith and Kyle! I don't know you anymore, Clark. You've always been secretive but..."

Clark put Kyle down. Chloe put Cordy down as well. Chloe looked at the kids.

"Go and wait by the picnic basket, okay?" Cordy and Kyle nodded, then hurried over there. Clark realized that by the time Connor returned from Wolfram & Hart, he could very well know that he and Lois were Kyle's real parents.

But his loyalty would probably be to Faith. And Clark couldn't take the chance that the woman might run or something.

"Kyle is my son, Chloe. Mine and Lois's." he said.

Chloe stared at him for a long moment, before cracking a half smile.

"Okay, I really want you to pack your stuff and leave. I am not even going to dignify that ridiculous....whatever you want to call it, with an answer."

"I can't go into the details now..."

"You can't because there are none to go into! Lois has never been pregnant, ever!"

"Not that you can remember, or Lois, for that matter. A spell erased that. One either done by Wolfram & Hart, or your husband."

"Connor would never..."

"Connor's 'spells' have probably damaged half the braincells in Smallville, Chloe! When your husband is too scared to just tell the truth, he comes up with spells!"

"You can come by when Connor is home to get your stuff, Clark! Right now, I'm taking the kids home."

"Kyle is coming with me." Clark said firmly.

"No! No, now you have really lost your mind!"

"No, I haven't. Kyle was stolen from Lois and I. Lois was put under spell so she wouldn't remember giving birth, much less getting pregnant."

Chloe stepped in front of him.

"You don't even LIKE Lois. Now you're telling me that you cheated on Lana with my cousin? Does she know?"

"Lana will confirm everything I've told you."

Chloe was more than a little surprised to hear that.

Gunn showed Angel, Wesley, Connor and Spike the folder he had gotten from Lilah, minus the information he had on Connor. He stared out of the window as the four discussed what they had found out.

"Okay, so we need to find Faith." Angel said, looking at everyone. "She needs to know this so she can fight for Kyle."

"Look, I'm on Faith's side, of course," Wesley began, "but if this Clark Kent has similar powers, maybe he should be involved in Kyle's life, to help guide him."

Spike shook his head.

"We all know the man is not going to go for that. I wouldn't. He's going to want his son. Lois is probably going to want her son."

Connor shook his head.

"I still can't believe that part. I mean I didn't think Clark even liked Lois."

"It doesn't matter." Angel said tersely. "The point is that Clark Kent, probably better than anyone, can keep his son out of Wolfram & Hart's clutches. I guess that was the point of that second spell. So they could get to the boy without his real parents knowing."

"And it failed to work on Kent because he's not really human." Wesley surmised.

Connor headed for the door.

"I'm going back home. Kent has to be confronted. He's here for Kyle. Faith isn't going to let him go without a fight."

"I'll come with you." Angel said. "Let me just go over some things with Wesley, Spike and Gunn here...."

"Actually," Gunn said, walking towards Connor. "Why don't you go over whatever with Wes and Spike and I'll catch up. I'll walk Connor out."

Connor gave him a strange look, but nodded. The two men left the office and headed for the elevators.

"Okay, Gunn, what's this really all about?" Connor asked, pressing the 1 button on the elevator.

"There was more in that file, than just stuff about Clark Kent and his kid. And you know that. Or did you hope that Lilah had just hid the part about you, someplace else?"

Connor looked around. The doors to the elevator opened. Connor did not step in, and let the doors close again.

"I was dreading the day anyone would find out."

Gunn suddenly grabbed Connor's arm hard! Connor knocked Gunn back onto the floor! Gunn got up quickly, but a few people stared.

"You'd better be glad that Angel didn't see that." Gunn said snidely. "Or I might've had to tell him why we're fighting."

"We're not fighting. I just knocked you down."

"Oh, cute! I think I'll just go to Angel now...."

"Gunn, wait! Please! This will hurt him!"

"You don't think I know that?! Look, Connor, I'll give you 24 hours. You can tell him. But I won't live with this. It's not right." Gunn said, dusting himself off and walking back to Angel's office. Connor turned and pressed the 1 button again. The doors opened quickly and he stepped inside.

Alone, Connor wondered just how he was going to tell Angel, that he was not his son. How he was going to tell Angel that the baby that Holtz had stolen from Angel, had indeed come back into this world, out of the hell dimension....through a portal in Smallville. How Holtz made a deal with him to get him out of the hell dimension by asking him to pose as Angel's son....and to kill him.....

And of course there was the very worst thing of all. General Lane, now had Angel's real son as a prisoner, and was training him to be in his new Initiative...... 


	6. Lois Hears The Truth

Chapter 6

Chloe slowly sat down on the couch, the phone to her ear. She glanced up the stairs. Clark was up in Cordy's room, playing with both her daughter and Kyle....his son.

"Are you sure?" Chloe asked Lana.

Lana took a deep breath.

"I love Lex. But if none of this had happened, Clark and I would be together today."

"Okay, I realize that. But Lois isn't interested in Clark. I mean she doesn't even know she's a mother."

"She wouldn't be a mother if she hadn't slept with my then boyfriend at the time."

"Lana, I don't know what to tell you....I mean I have never seen anything between them. Lois never talks about Clark....how did this happen?"

"You remember before all of these crazy spells were cast, don't you?"

"I don't understand."

"When Lois got hurt in that cemetery and Clark insisted on hiding her at his parents farm, without telling either one of us. There was something there between them, even then."

"Lana, no! No, now I don't believe that. And Clark felt as if Lois was in danger....he would've done the same for either one of us. You know that."

"Well it doesn't matter anymore. So in answer to your question, yes, everything Clark told you is true. He's been looking for his son for three years now."

"I see....so was this some kind of speedy pregnancy or something? I mean I'm having a little trouble with the timing here...."

"No one knew Lois was pregnant when she left Smallville, at least not under the first spell that was cast. But we both found her in the shower with handprints burned on her body....we now know who they belonged to."

"Is that the rash people used to ask her about? I swear, that's the reason Lois refused to go back to Smallville and even visit! She didn't know what the hell people were talking about!"

"She didn't remember, is all. Of course, I could never get a satisfactory explanation out of Clark, as to how his handprints got burned onto Lois's skin."

Chloe coughed.

"It must've been part of the spell or something. I can tell you're still hurt, Lana."

"Clark said that he wasn't himself that day. He wasn't. I mean he picked a fight with me and then turned around and had sex with your cousin. I can't understand it or forgive it. Not without more of an explanation."

"You know....he was kind of frisky with me that day too. Connor noted it and wasn't pleased."

"Great! So I guess he would've just jumped on anyone and Lois got to be the lucky girl."

Chloe licked her lips.

"Maybe....maybe you should postpone your wedding to Lex?"

"No, I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine, Lana. You sound like you still have issues regarding Clark. Maybe you should fly out here and see if you're really ready to let him go. I think he still has feelings for you."

"Really? Did he say that?"

"Well he didn't have to. I still have that cute little necklace you used to wear in highschool. I guess you must've forgotten to take it, when you moved out of my house. Anyway, I showed it to Clark the other night and he had a powerful, emotional reaction to it."

"Really?" Lana asked, intrigued.

"Yeah, really. Look, I see Connor coming up the drive. I have to go. Thanks for the confirmation and think about what I said."

"I will, Chloe. Otherwise, it was good hearing from you. Goodbye."

"Bye." Chloe responded, hanging up the phone. She looked up the staircase. She really needed to talk to Clark, but now that Connor was home....

Connor opened the door and Chloe hurried over to him. They kissed quickly, before Connor let her go and looked around.

"Where's Cordy? Clark?"

"Clark is upstairs playing with Cordy and Kyle. Listen, I found out something from Clark today...."

"Clark is Kyle's father. Lois is his mother.

"Yes! Yes.....you found that out from something at Angel's firm?"

"Yeah....uh honey, we need to talk."

"Well, yeah we do. We need to figure out how we're going to break all of this to Faith. I mean I don't want to take sides, but Kyle is Faith's life. But Clark says that Kyle was stolen and Lois doesn't even know she had a baby! We have a big mess on our hands."

Connor took his wife's hand and led her into the sitting room. They both sat down on the couch. Chloe peered at him.

"Connor? Honey, what is it? You're really beginning to scare me."

"In 24 hours, things are going to be very different."

"Different how?"

"Well, Angel will probably no longer be my father."

Chloe just stared at him.

"What are you talking about? Honey, what is it?"

"I need to explain to you, in detail, about the years I lived in a hell dimension."

Suddenly, the door slammed open and Lois entered the house. She began walking towards the stairs, when she spied them in the sitting room. She hurried over to them.

"Is Clark home?"

"Uh yes. Lois we need to talk." Chloe said, grateful for the break in dismal conversation.

"Yeah, later!" Lois called out as she hurried up the stairs. She hurried towards his room, but found it empty. She then heard voices coming from Cordy's room. She hurried down that way and found Clark sitting on the floor with Cordy and Kyle. Cordy had some of her dolls with her and Kyle had some G.I. Joe Men. The three of them looked up when they saw her, although Kyle looked away first. It was the lady that his Mommy didn't like.

"Clark, I really, really need to speak to you."

"Lois, we're in the middle of something." he said, giving her a look. Lois caught the look, then walked over to Cordy.

"Cordy, I've got plenty of make-up in my room to put on."

"Okay!" Cordy cried out, jumping up. She grabbed Kyle's hand and began pulling him along. Clark protested.

"Lois, what's Kyle supposed to do?"

Lois looked at Cordy.

"Use him for practice on how to put on lipstick." she ordered them, gently pushing the kids from Cordy's room. She then closed the door.

"Smooth, Lois. You'll make a great mother someday."

"I'm not having any children, Clark. I plan on winning a Pulitzer, and Pulitzer's and kids, don't go hand in hand. At least not for me."

"Why aren't you at work? Were you fired?"

"Ha! Oh, that was so funny, I forgot to laugh!" Lois said, emitting a very fake founding laugh. Clark rolled his eyes and opened Cordy's door. He walked across the hallway to his own room, leaving the door open. Lois followed him in and closed the door.

"Clark, I called Lana today."

Now, Lois had his full attention.

"You called her from where?"

"The paper, where do you think! I have to say, she was quite testy with me."

Clark folded his arms.

"Really?"

"Yes, really! I was trying to help you. I don't know if you can believe that, but it's the truth. I didn't figure you should go around suffering without your son. I have great reporting skills...."

"So you think." Clark quipped.

"Anyway," Lois continued on. "I called your ex-girlfriend only to get an earful of attitude. She is obviously not the mother of your lost son."

"No," Clark answered, drawing the word out, "Lana is not the mother."

"Okay....why don't you stop playing coy with me? I mean ordinarily, I would stay out of this whole thing completely...."

"Oh, but of course." Clark said sarcastically.

"But, Lana has practically pulled me into this thing."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, she told me that I knew who the mother of this child was! Lana said she was someone 'I looked at everyday'. Clark, Chloe and you should be so ashamed of yourselves!"

"What?!" Clark almost choked.

"Oh come on! You don't have a son....you have a daughter! That lie was told to throw me off track! And you're here to claim Cordy, aren't you? Oh my God!"

"What?" Clark asked calmly.

"Chloe and Connor are downstairs and they look as if they could be discussing something important! God, Chloe is going to confess! I'd better get down there...."

Lois began to hurry towards the door, when Clark pulled the back of Lois's jacket so hard, that she was propelled back against him, and down into his lap, on the bed on which he sat.

"Lois.....I'm going to tell you a story."

"You're going to tell me a story, hey? Please do not tell me this is going to be about Cordy's conception? Because you can spare me the details and let me up."

"I have a son, Lois. Nothing has ever happened between Chloe and I. The mother of my son is someone that used to live in Smallville."

Sensing that she was about to hear the truth, Lois stayed put in Clark's lap. She said nothing.

"This woman is someone I've known only for a short time. Anyway, I was under the influence of a 'spell'. This woman was not, but, she had had a bad day. She came to me for comfort and one thing lead to another."

Lois jumped up out of his lap!

"Who is this, Clark?! Huh? Who is it? Lana said it's someone I know! Is she in San Francisco? That's it, isn't it?"

"Well, she's in this house."

Lois raised a brow.

"You've lost me."

Clark walked up to her.

"Think of the words, 'harder Smallville. Harder and faster'."

Lois began back towards the door.

"Wh....wh.....what is that all about? Why did you use that phrase?"

Clark began to move towards her.

"Why are you asking? Is it familiar?"

Lois just stared at him. That's what she always said to him, in the erotic dreams she had had about him. That would mean that she.....she had a child by Clark Kent? She had had a baby and didn't remember? No.....

Clark placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Lois, our son is in this house right now."

Lois blinked.

"Kyle." she whispered.

Suddenly, they both heard children screaming. Clark and Lois hurried out of the bedroom. 


	7. A Past Crime

Chapter 7

Clark and Lois made it to her room about the same time Connor and Chloe did. They did not understand what they were looking at, because it didn't appear as if anything had happened.

Little Cordy was crying so hard, that no sound was coming out of her mouth. Chloe hurried in and picked her up. Clark hurried over to Kyle, who was weeping openly. Lois just stared at him, unable to believe that the child was hers. Yet....she did know. Somehow it fit.

Lois looked away briefly. That made no sense! There was a logic to certain things, and pregnancy was one of them. Then again, Clark said that someone cast a spell on her. Who? Who would do something like this?

"What happened?" Clark asked Kyle. Kyle hiccuped, then began to try and speak.

"Cordy threw fire at me!" he cried, the tears running down his face. Connor gulped, then backed out of the room. Chloe peered after him.

"Connor? Connor, what is it?" she called. She then looked at Kyle. Actually, she looked behind Kyle, then hurried out of the room with Cordy. Lois looked at the wall behind Kyle. There were scorch marks on it. Somehow, Kyle came out of this unscathed.

"What's going on here?" she asked more of herself than anyone else. "How did he not get burned?"

"I think Connor knows the answer to that." Clark said, picking up Kyle. He looked at Lois.

"I'm going to take him back to Cordy's room for a nap. Then we need to talk."

Lois looked at him.

"The only thing I want to know, is how is it that I don't remember giving birth to him."

"Your pregnancy was kind of difficult."

Lois tilted her head.

"You've known this the whole time? This spell only worked on me and not you?"

"I'll explain everything once I put Kyle down, okay?" Clark said, touching his small fist. He walked down the hallway with him, while Lois looked around her room. Her eyes fell upon her laptop and she walked over to it, opening it and booting it up.

Clark returned a few minutes later.

"I know that this whole thing seems like a dream. I also know that you don't know our son very well...."

But Lois turned back to look at him.

"Neither do you. I want to know what kind of woman is raising my son."

Clark walked over to her.

"You're planning on checking out Faith?"

"Oh, you're damned right I am!"

Clark said nothing. Lois did a double take.

"No lecture?"

Clark folded his arms.

"No, I think you're right to do so. Faith and Dan Gordon adopted our son illegally. If they could do that, then there is no telling what else they were into."

Clark watched as Lois pulled up the California Public Records. Chloe appeared in the doorway and cleared her throat. Both Clark and Lois almost jumped!

"Hey, guys, uh, Connor wants to see you downstairs right away. He's got some big revelation he wants to share with us."

Clark looked at her sympathetically.

"You look nervous."

"I am. I mean there's a lot I don't know about Connor's background, but I've never seen him look so serious. I put Cordy down in Connor's and my room. I'm just afraid that this incident with the kids.....I don't know what I'm going to hear really."

Lois eyed her.

"Why don't you two go ahead? I'll be right down. I just have to finish looking something up, okay?"

Chloe stared at the computer.

"What is that?"

Clark grabbed Chloe's arm.

"We'll tell you later. Let's go back downstairs, okay?"

Clark closed Lois's door. Chloe eyed him.

"Did you tell her?"

"About her being Kyle's mother? Yes."

"Oh God! How is she taking it? She looks calm."

"I don't think it's entirely kicked in yet. But we'll deal with that later. Let's just find out what Connor knows."

Chloe sighed!

"Why do you have to put it like that? As if my husband is hiding something? He wanted to talk to me before this fire incident."

"Fine, Chloe." Clark said gently. "Let's just go and find out what's going on around here."

Chloe nodded, and they headed for the stairs.

Connor stood up, as Clark and Chloe entered the sitting room.

"How's Cordy?"

"Asleep?"

"Kyle's fine too." Clark said sarcastically.

"I'm concerned about Kyle too." Connor answered quickly, struggling to keep his patience with Kent. God! Why did he have to be here now? Yet, there was no getting around this. He would have to know.

"Where's Lois?" Connor asked.

"She'll be down in a minute." Clark answered tersely. "Why don't you get on with this big confession you have for us."

"Clark!" Chloe cried out.

"I'm sorry, Chloe. But if you just hadn't cast that first damned spell, Connor, none of us would be in the situations we're in."

Connor glared at him.

"That spell didn't make you cheat on Lana with Lois. You wanted to do that. So you might as well just sit down and listen."

"I'll stand, thanks." Clark replied coldly. Chloe did sit down. Connor joined her and picked up her hand.

"Do you remember when I told you that Angel didn't raise me?"

Chloe nodded.

"Yes, but you two are close now."

"Uh, yeah, we are. That's why when he finds out that I'm not really his son, he's going to be very disappointed....heartbroken even."

Clark eyed Connor, then sat down himself. What was going on here?"

Chloe pulled her hand from his.

"I don't understand. I thought you told me that your mother....a vampire, and Angel, were your biological parents?"

"Chloe....I was born in a hell dimension....I think. I mean I don't remember living anyplace else. I wasn't taken from Angel to go and live there. I was already there. I lived with my father for many years....time works at a different rate in that particular place. When Holz...."

"That's the man that stole Angel's son, right?" Chloe asked.

"Yes. Holz showed up when I was a baby. My father....my real father was a demon....my mother a witch. A very powerful one. He was also half human. He wanted me to live in this dimension. A plan was formed.....with Holz. I would pretend to be Angel's son and kill him."

"Wait a minute." Clark stopped them. "As sick is this whole thing sounds, there's still something missing. Angel thinks he has a son though. If this Holz man took his son, then where is he?"

"He ended up somewhere in Smallville, Clark. You may have even went to school with him. There was a portal that let into that town. That's why I came there in the first place. I was going to find him....I was going to tell Angel the truth. Anyway, there's more to this...."

Chloe stood up and walked over to the window. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

But Clark didn't want to hear it!

"And you're telling us this now because?"

Connor, who's eyes were on Chloe's back, looked at Clark.

"Alright. Someone knows and is planning on telling Angel. I'm going to tell him myself."

"Well, good for you!" Clark snapped, disgusted by what he had heard already. "But none of this explains why Cordy...."

Clark then stopped talking for a moment. Chloe turned from the window to stare at them both.

"If you're part demon, then Cordy has powers now, doesn't she? She did throw fire at Kyle, didn't she?"

Connor took a deep breath, then produced a fireball in his hand! Chloe screamed and Clark ran over and stood in front of her. Connor hurled it at Clark and he shoved Chloe out of the way! She fell to the floor, as the fire scorched the window behind him.

Chloe slowly stood up. Connor began to walk over to her, but she put her hands up.

"Stay back! Stay away from me!" she cried. She then looked at Clark.

"What was that?! Why aren't you burned?"

"For the same reason that Kyle wasn't burned when Cordy did the same thing to him, Chloe." Connor explained. He then looked at Clark.

"It's time for a little truth from everyone, right Kent?"

Before Clark could answer, Lois came flying down the steps! She looked around quickly.

"Chloe, what the hell are you doing on the floor?" she asked, pulling her cousin up quickly.

"Lois, there's something you need to know..." Chloe began, half looking at her husband.

But Lois put a hand up!

"I already know what it is!"

"You do?" Connor asked, raising an eyebrow.

But Clark made his way over to her. Lois had been looking for information on Faith.

"What is it? What did you find out?" he asked.

"Oh just that the woman that stole our son is......A MURDERER!!!!" Lois almost screamed. She glared at Chloe and Connor accusingly.

"Tell me you didn't know?!"

Chloe put her hands up defensively. Hell, she was just finding out her husband and daughter had demon in them!

"Lois, I swear! Faith seems so normal!"

Lois wagged a finger at her.

"No she doesn't! At least she never did to me!"

"Lois, calm down." Clark said, grabbing her shoulders. "Who did she kill?"

"Some government official in a town called Sunnydale. I mean this place is in California too. She was serving 25 years to life when she just up and escaped one day! Kyle is not going back to live with her!"

Connor stepped forward.

"Lois, you have to calm down. Faith, I guess, was a different person back then."

Clark turned back to him.

"Great! So you knew this too? You're just full of surprises!"

Suddenly, the screech of a car could be heard! Lois and Clark hurried over to a window.

"It's Faith!" Clark yelled.

"Good!" Lois snapped. "The bitch stole my baby!"

Connor began to move forward.

"Lois, don't confront her! She's a vampire slayer.

Lois turned to look back at him.

"A what?"

"She has strength that's not normal for a woman to have." was all Connor was willing to say right now.

"Well, I'm not a vampire, and I'm not scared of her either!" Lois hissed. Clark jumped in front of her.

"Let's handle this together, okay?" he said, opening the door. But Lois moved around him, just as Faith, who had learned all from Angel by cellphone, punched Lois! She went flying back and fell onto the stairs! Faith then faced Clark.

"Come on, farm boy! Let's see what you've got!" Faith hissed, outraged. If either one of these fucks, thought they were taking her boy away from her, they had another thing coming!

"We don't want to hurt you." Clark said, half looking over at Lois. Lois was slowly getting up, with Chloe's help.

"Faith, back off of him!" Connor warned.

"Oh, now you're on his side?!" Faith yelled.

"I don't want to see you get hurt." Connor said calmly. "Back off of him, Faith. Let's sit down and talk about this."

Faith looked at Clark.

"Are you going to take that bitch and go?" she asked him.

"Lois and I have no intention of leaving our son with a murderer." Clark replied coolly. Faith punched him....and regretted it.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" she screamed, reeling back and holding her fist. She had split it open. Punching this Clark character had been like punching a steel wall or something! What the hell?!

Connor ran outside to her. He then stopped. Was that....

There were police cars coming in the distance. Breathing heavily, Lois joined Clark at the door.

"That's right, bitch! I called the police. You're going back to prison." she yelled.

Chloe put her head in her hands and sank down on the stairs. 


	8. Chlois vs Faith

Chapter 8

Chloe raised her head up, as police officers moved in on the house next door. Connor had grabbed Faith and raced down the sidewalk with her. Clark saw them run up the driveway of a house.

He turned to Lois, but she noticed none of this. She was staring at the cops preparing to break into the house next door. She then looked where Connor and Faith had previously been standing.

"Oh my God! Where did they go? Clark, we have to find them!"

Chloe stood up.

"I want you both out of my house."

Clark and Lois looked from one another, to Chloe.

"Excuse me?" Lois asked.

"You heard me, Lois. I want you and Clark gone from this house. Take Kyle with you."

"Chloe....." Clark began.

"No, Clark. Take Kyle. I mean Lois here has ruined any chance of Faith being able to say goodbye to her son in a proper manner. He has no one now. Just take him and go."

Lois stepped forward.

"What is this? I just told you that Faith is a murderer and you're acting as if my son would still be better off with her!"

"Lois, I'm sure she didn't mean it that way." Clark said soothingly, eyeing Chloe. "Did you?"

"You know what, Clark? I'm not interested in anyone's hurt feelings right now. Faith is the only mother Kyle knows. You should have talked to her...."

"She punched me, Chloe!" Lois snapped. "Does that seem like she wanted to 'talk'?! What is the matter with you?!"

"My life is falling apart, that's what's the matter! My husband told me something that I can't believe! That could affect my daughter's future! And none of this chaos was in my life, until the two of you showed up! Get out!"

Connor suddenly reappeared. He slowly closed the door.

"Nice going, Lois."

But Lois didn't budge.

"Where is she, Connor?"

"Safe, for now."

"Yeah, well, why don't I just step outside and tell the cops next door that?"

"You phoned in the tip anonymously?" Connor asked calmly.

"Why do you care?" Lois asked, her tone hostile. Clark rubbed her shoulder.

"Faith has worked really, really hard to turn her life around. She knew nothing about where Kyle came from." Connor told her.

"I don't believe that! And another thing: why wasn't she smart enough to leave the state, once she escaped from prison?" Lois asked sarcastically.

Clark stepped in.

"Alright, we get that Faith was your special friend. We get that Kyle's life is going to be in turmoil and we get that as a family, you all need to be alone. Lois and I will take Kyle to the Excelcior."

Lois whipped her head towards him.

"We are?"

Clark looked at her.

"Yes."

"How?"

"What do you mean?"

Lois pulled on Clark's arm and he allowed himself to be dragged away a few feet.

"The Excelcior is the priciest hotel in San Francisco!" she whispered. "Unless we're going to sing for our supper and rooms, or wash dishes, which I don't do by the way...."

"So I've heard."

"How are we going to afford it?" Lois finished.

"Lex owns the one downtown here. He said I could stay in the penthouse suite while I was here."

"But you're here?"

"Lois, Kyle is here. I wanted to be near him."

But Chloe overheard the last part.

"So you had a place to stay this whole time?" Chloe asked. Clark turned back to her.

"Chloe, try and understand, I didn't do any of this to mess up your life. Lois and I will take Kyle and leave."

Lois looked at Connor.

"Is that alright with you, slick?"

Connor didn't answer. He had taken Faith to the Haliwell's home. He could not explain to them how he knew they were witches, or how he knew that they could help Faith, but they took her in, no questions asked. That and two people in the home, had the power to orb Faith away, if need be.

Lois looked up the stairs. Her son was sleeping up there. Her son who for some reason, could survive fire. How was that possible anyway?

Chloe turned her back to Clark and Lois. Clark moved so he was in front of her.

"Chloe, I don't want this to come between us."

"Clark, let me ask you a question: how long to do you think you're going to be able to keep the truth from Lois?"

"Truth?"

"Kyle survived the fireball that my little girl threw at him, with her bare hands. You survived when Connor threw a fireball at you. Just when do you plan to tell Lois about yourself and her son?"

Clark had tried to push that thought from his mind. It was bad enough that Connor knew. It was worse that Chloe knew that he had special abilities. But he did not know how Lois would react.

"I'm going to take Kyle and Lois and leave." was all Clark said. "But you might want to think about the fact that Lois and I are victims here too."

"And once again, Clark, this really isn't about you. I want an explanation from my husband, as to why my daughter and him, can fling fire, okay?"

"You're acting as if this is all my fault?"

"No, it's not your fault, Clark. Or Lois's. But I can't help but wonder, if I would even know any of this, if the two of you hadn't shown up here."

"You invited us!" Clark protested.

"Because that was the hospitable thing to do. Look....I'm tired. My life is falling apart....just take your son and go."

Clark turned and headed towards the stairs. Lois eyed him, then walked over to Chloe. Chloe shook her head.

"Not now, Lois. Just go."

The doorbell rang. Lois turned and walked towards it, before Connor could stop her.

It was a Detective Darryl Morris, wanting to know about Faith Gordon, from next door. Lois glanced at Connor, who joined her by the door and told him that she was at work. Connor then gave him the name of the construction company Faith worked for. Lois asked if there was a problem, in a very phony sounding voice, but the detective just told them it was nothing for them to be alarmed about, before walking back over to Faith's empty home.

Clark, Lois and Kyle left Connor and Chloe's home, once the police were gone. Clark had carried Kyle, since he was still asleep. Connor then stared at Chloe.

"Okay.....so what do you want to know?"

"I want to know who Angel's real son is? I want to know what you are....what our daughter is, if you're not descendent from two vampires."

"Okay....that's fair."

"Oh, you think?" Chloe asked sarcastically.

"I know that you feel as if you've been lied to...."

"I have been lied too, Connor! In a sad way, Faith has too when it comes to Kyle! Now I need to know what I'm dealing with here. Who were your parents?"

"My father's name is Belthezor."

"Beltha.....what? Well, it certainly isn't an easy name to pronounce. Not like Angel."

"I shouldn't have been born. No one knows I was. At least that is, according to my real father."

"You realize that makes no sense."

"And that's why I have never told anyone any of this!"

"You never answered me from before. Who is your mother then?"

"She lives down the street. She's one of the Haliwell sisters."

Chloe's mouth dropped open!

"That's impossible! Those girls...women, are no older than Faith!"

"Look at Angel, Chloe. I told you, the hell dimension I was raised in....the laws of time don't apply here."

"Oh my God!" Chloe snapped, turning her back on her husband. She then pulled herself together and turned back to him.

"Go on, Connor. I might as well know all of it."

"I was a powerful baby. Too powerful for my mother to carry. A seer ended up carrying me instead."

"I'm not even going to ask how that is possible."

Connor swallowed.

"Everyone thought I had been destroyed, along with many other demons. But that wasn't true. I lived....at first alone, cared for by other vanquished demons until my father could join me. He isn't a bad man...."

"He's still alive?!"

"He's in the hell dimension. He had been vanquished by my mother and her sisters, so he was unable to come with me through the portal. I was the same age as Angel's son. Holz then hatched a plot....he was not a bad man. He did want Angel's son....."

"You mean the real Connor?"

Connor winced at hearing this. But he nodded.

"Yes. Connor. He wanted Connor to live some semblance of a real life."

"Okay, Connor. I've heard enough on our family tree here. Who is Angel's real son and what has become of him? Do I know him?"

Lois stared down at the sleeping Kyle. This was her son. Her son with Clark Kent.

She turned and walked out of his room. It was evening and her mind was still racing. She didn't like how she had left things with Chloe. She wasn't even sure she had done the right thing, calling the police on Faith.

But at least the penthouse suite Clark had promised, had turned out to be on the up and up. No dishwashing for either one of them!

She walked out into the front room and found Clark staring out of a window. She coughed to make her presence known. He turned towards her.

"Kyle is still asleep?" he asked. Lois nodded.

"Good. I guess then we should talk about how things are going to be."

"How they're going to be?"

"Yes.....we're taking Kyle back to Smallville." Clark announced.

"Why?"

Clark blinked.

"Because I think that's what's best for him. That and my parents will want to meet him. Your father is in Kansas too. He might want to know he has a grandson."

"Yeah....my father and your parents aren't the same type of people." Lois said, turning away.

"Fine then. We'll wait to tell your father."

Lois turned back to him.

"Fine. I'll give up my job here....it wasn't going too great anyway."

"Okay...whatever that means. We'll go back to Smallville and stay with my parents. Kyle will love the farm."

"And then what? I mean is this a getting to know our son thing or what?"

"Well, yes, Lois. I mean when Kyle wakes up, he's going to want to know why he's in this strange place with us. He's going to want to know where Faith is."

Lois sighed.

"I suppose you think I was wrong to call the police on her, don't you?"

"No, I don't. She's a murderer and she should be in prison, paying her debt to society. And Connor knew this. I don't understand what Chloe sees in that guy."

Lois shrugged.

"It doesn't matter. I mean no matter how ticked off she is with him, in the end, they'll stay together."

Clark didn't answer that. Lois was not privy to what Connor had told him and Chloe earlier. How would Angel react when he discovered he had been lied to? Where was his real son?

"So," Lois began, "are we going to stop dancing around the other subject?"

"Other subject?" Clark asked, confused.

"Yes....us. How we ended up getting Kyle in the first place?"

For some reason, thinking about that made Clark blush. Lois stared at him.

"For the longest time, I've been having dreams about the two of us....in a barn. But now I don't think those are dreams, so much as memories. You remember what happened, don't you?"

"Well....yes....."

Lois walked up to him.

"So, Smallville, if we go back to your parents home, where am I going to sleep?"

"Uh....well....."

"I mean do I get the guest room again? No, wait, that will probably be Kyle's room. So, then do I sleep on the couch? Or do you sleep on the couch and I get your room?"

"Uh, Lois....." Clark murmured. He was beginning to feel kind of warm and Lois pressed her body against him. "I don't think my parents would want us in the same room...."

"But you'll talk to them about that? Won't you?"

"I....I....."

Lois had had enough talk! The memories of their first encounter were growing more vivid in her mind and she reached up and pulled him into a deep kiss, her tongue probing, yet teasing. Clark kissed her back hungrily, suddenly finding that her nearness was tempting him beyond control and....

"Lois! That's my good shirt!" he almost squeaked, as she ripped the t-shirt that he had been wearing, right off of him and tossed it away. Soon, the rest of both of their clothing followed, as they fell upon the nearest leather couch.

It began happening again, almost as soon as he thrust into her.

Clark began leaving handprints on Lois skin. Handprints burned onto her by his very touch. He wanted to say something, he wanted to stop. But he couldn't. Not that Lois made it easy for him to say anything anyway, as he felt her legs wrap around his hips, almost locking him there. Clark could feel her hands roving over his back, kneading the hard muscles there.

Lois, for her part, was too lost to notice that the burning sensation on her skin, was actually Clark's handprints burning onto her! She could feel Clark deep inside her womb, his thrusts like a battering ram. She surrendered to him with wild abandon and then....

Her breath caught in her throat, as the water hit both her and Clark! Forced to disentangle themselves, they looked up from the couch only to find Faith standing over them! How the hell did she get in here?!

"Well, well, well! You two are into some pretty kinky crap, aren't you? And you think you're better than me? What the hell is that on you, bitch? What is there a branding iron around her somewhere?"

Lois had NO idea what this psycho bitch was talking about! She moved to get her clothes but Faith, who moved closer to the garments, walked over to the window, and punched a hole through the glass, tossing their clothes into the San Francisco night.

"Nice!" Lois snapped.

Clark tried to keep his cool.

"Faith, I understand that you're hurt...."

"You didn't have to call the cops. You never gave me a chance to explain. Hell, you two never bothered to even admit you were my son's parents. So I slipped away from those nice witches Connor hooked me up with."

"Witches?" Lois asked.

"He's our son, Faith." Clark said gently. "Look, we want this transition to be easy on Kyle. I'm glad you're here because now...."

"No, see you shouldn't be glad. Because I'm taking my son and leaving here. And I am prepared to kill the both of you, if that's what I need to do."

"Oh my God!" Lois snapped. "Where were you raised? Huh? In a circus somewhere? Clark just said that he was willing to...."

"Oh shut the hell up! Look at yourself! You're having sex with this guy while he burns you! There's no way in the hell Kyle is going to live...."

Suddenly, Faith peered at the handprints, realizing that's what they were. Lois looked down at herself for the first time and gasped!

"Uh, Clark! What is this? This....this...."

"I'll explain later." Clark said meekly, more worried about Faith. He also suspected that those handprints meant that Lois was pregnant again.

Faith then looked at Clark.

"Kyle has special abilities. I always wondered who his real parents were. It's you, isn't it? You're the reason Kyle can knock over fences at three years of age?"

"I see your hand healed. You're not without special abilities yourself." Clark said quietly. He then looked over at Lois to test her reaction.

She had heard none of it.

"Uh, I have your handprints on me, Clark! They're burned onto me! What is with this? I mean do you have an explanation for this?"

"They'll go away." Clark replied meekly.

"And you know this how?"

"Well it happened before....when Kyle was conceived."

"Oh Jesus!" Faith muttered. Lois's mouth dropped open in horror. Clark turned back to Faith.

"Faith, let's go in and wake Kyle up. We can explain what's going on."

"No. I'm going back there and taking him now."

"Clark, I've been branded like cattle here!" Lois snapped. "Is this going to happen everytime we....you know?"

Clark turned to Lois.

"Lois, Faith wants to take Kyle. Can we concentrate on what's important here."

Lois nodded, then looked down at her stomach! What the hell was that squiggly thing on her stomach?!!!!

"Faith, if you go back there then I will have to stop you."

Faith threw up her hands.

"Then stop me, farm boy."

Lois finally began paying attention at those words. She looked at Clark.

"Look, there's no need to get nasty here. You leave and I won't call the police again."

"Oh? Yeah, by the way, I never did thank you for that. Let me do that right now."

Faith moved to punch Lois, but Clark blocked the shot and ended up pushing Faith, harder than he intended to. She flew back and crashed through the window she had punched out, a few minutes before!

Lois backed away in shock, at watching Clark shove the woman so hard! And unfortunately, Kyle, who was awakened by the noise, came running out.

"MOMMY!!!!" he screamed and ran towards the window at lightening speed. He jumped out of it!

"KYLE!!!!" Clark and Lois screamed simultaneously, as Clark hurried and jumped out of the window as well. Lois collapsed on the floor in a dead faint.

AFTERMATH

Kyle managed to land his mother on the ground. The police had been called by then, so Faith had no choice but to hug her son quickly, yet tearfully, and run off into the night, shoving past gapers. Kyle began to sob, as Clark, who had reached the ground unscathed, gathered his son up in his arms, and took him back inside the hotel.

The police had questions, which Clark deflected. Lois, who had fainted, claimed she actually fainted when Faith broke into their suite, and remembered nothing.

So, off to Smallville the little Kent family went, where for the time being, they all lived on the farm with Jonathan and Martha Kent. Kyle had quite a bit of a time, getting used to Lois, and it was not until he realized that she liked video games, and was quite good at them, that he began to warm up to his mother a bit.

But he grew to love Martha Kent like a real mother. Lois noted this, but was told, time and time again by well meaning people, that in time, that might change.

Also, the Kent's refused to have Clark and Lois under the same roof without the benefit of marriage. Especially since Lois was pregnant again. That actually turned out to be fine with them, and Lex and Lana were invited to the nuptials. Lana cried, claiming it was out of happiness, but some were not so sure.

Lois was let in on the secret of her husband and son's backgrounds, but didn't find it particularly shocking or distressing. She did find giving birth in a matter of days a bit disconcerting, but managed to deliver a healthy, baby girl, whom Clark and Lois named Kara. With the help of the Haliwell sisters from San Francisco, a midwife, schooled in magical or strange births, arrived in Smallville to deliver the child. Kara, has her brother's strength as well, something that was discovered when she almost crushed Jonathan's hand with her tiny hand.

Of course, the rest of Smallville found the birth a bit shocking. Lois lied and said she just never gained much weight.

Lois and Clark did discuss the matter of birth control. Apparently pills and all of the condoms in the world, would not prevent another pregnancy.

That was when Clark decided that he would have no choice but to turn to Wolfram & Hart for an answer.

It was Fred that found one and was quite proud of herself. The Kryptonite, that rendered Clark so helpless, was broken down and transformed into a form of birth control pills for Lois. They had no affects on Lois, except to keep her from having unexpected children in a matter of days.

And what of Connor and Chloe? Or better yet, what of the So'Dath Prophecies, that said that Chloe would give birth to a powerful child? No one knew or even tried to find out. For once Connor confessed to Angel his treachery, Angel cut him off for good. He then arrived in Smallville and asked for Clark's help in finding his son. His real son. All Connor knew was that the 'real Connor', apparently wasn't going by his given name, when he arrived in Smallville by portal.

But Angel's disgust with him, didn't compare to Chloe's deep disappointment in him. She could accept Connor's deception about his background, and a host of other mistakes, but when he was forced to reveal, that he had told General Lane about the real Connor's existence, and that he believed the young man was probably a prisoner of the Initiative's, the news had turned Chloe's stomach. Not to mention he received an ass kicking from Angel, with the help of Spike, as well.

But, Chloe was moved by Connor's determination to make amends for his wrongs. That and Paige Haliwell ran a magic school that Chloe thought might be good for Cordy to attend. So, things weren't as bleak as they seemed.

Connor and Chloe packed up and headed back to Smallville as well, to help Angel set things right, whether he wanted them to or not. The magic school was also a boarding school, so while both Connor and Chloe were loathe to leave Cordy, she seemed so well adjusted and was managing her fire throwing habit, that her parents did not want to stint her progress.

Chloe did ask her husband, if it ever occurred to him to explain things to his real mother, Phoebe Haliwell.

But Connor knew from his father, that that was a situation best left alone. Besides, he doubted a woman like Phoebe would understand being a grandmother at her age.

As of this writing, Faith Gordon is still a fugitive.

THE END 


End file.
